Daniel Gafford Named to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List

FAYETTEVILLE – University of Arkansas sophomore Daniel Gafford is one of 21 candidates for the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today.

This is the fifth year of the award, which recognizes the top centers in men’s college basketball, and is named after Class of 1995 Hall of Famer and three-time NCAA Champion Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. A national committee comprising top college basketball personnel determined the watch list of 21 candidates.

Four SEC players joined Gafford on the watch list, including Auburn’s Austin Wiley, Kentucky’s Nick Richards, LSU’s Naz Reid and Missouri’s Jontay Porter. Also making the list was Charles Beasley, who Gafford will face Dec. 8 when Western Kentucky comes to Bud Walton Arena.

Gafford, a consensus top 15 pick in the mock 2019 NBA drafts, was named to the preseason All-SEC first team after being selected to the SEC All-Freshman team last season. He averaged 11.8 points and 6.2 rebounds in his rookie campaign while ranking second in the league in blocked shots (76). He also had a school-record 75 dunks last season, which was more than six SEC teams. This past August, Gafford was one of 25 highly-touted college basketball players invited to participate in the prestigious Nike Basketball Academy, an annual developmental camp that allows players the opportunity to learn and train with current and past NBA superstars.

By mid-February, the watch list of 21 players for the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award will be narrowed down to just 10. In March, five finalists will be presented to Mr. Abdul-Jabbar and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner of the 2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s in Los Angeles, CA on Friday, April 12, 2019, along with the other four members of the Naismith Starting 5.

2019 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award Candidates
Daniel Gafford                      Arkansas
Austin Wiley                           Auburn
James Thompson IV            Eastern Michigan
Jessie Govan                          Georgetown
Killian Tillie                              Gonzaga
Alessandro Lever                 Grand Canyon
Udoka Azubuike                   Kansas
Nick Richards                         Kentucky
Cameron Krutwig                 Loyola Chicago
Naz Reid                                  LSU
Jalen Smith                             Maryland
Dewan Hernandez               Miami
Nick Ward                               Michigan St.
Jontay Porter                         Missouri
Bol Bol                                      Oregon
Tacko Fall                                 UCF
Moses Brown                         UCLA
James Dickey                          UNC Greensboro
Charles Bassey                       Western Kentucky
Nathan Knight                       William & Mary
Ethan Happ                             Wisconsin